What Are the Side Effects of Cellulaze Treatment?

Any #soreness, tenderness, or bruising will #resolve within a week. Patients can return to activities of daily living, to high-impact aerobic activity and may wear any clothing. Results can be seen in as little as three days post-op.  After the Cellfina™ cellulite treatment, patients can go about their day, but may want to take it easy for up to 24 hours. There have been no serious adverse events associated with our #treatments such as Cellfina™. The most common side effects reported by patients in the FDA-approved pivotal study were #soreness and #bruising. Over 90% of patients had no bruising at four weeks after the cellulite procedure. For full product and safety information, including possible mild side effects. If at anytime, you are concerned about your #healing and #recovery, it's best to contact your surgeon or meet with them for an #evaluation.

In my opinion, the side effects of Cellulaze are well described by the other experts. Some less common side effects include small blood vessels (telangectasia) and hyperpigmentation. The first is caused by the surgeon going too superficially. The second is common at incision sites in darker skin patients. Treatment with bleaching cream should be iniated early for prevention.Good luck!

Cellulaze is a surgical treatment so you will experience some soreness afterwards and probably bruising.  Some people bruise very little and some have a lot more bruising.  Arnica can help.  Infection is possible but very rare, I've never seen it.  The skin may feel numb afterwards, but it recovers in time.

There is very little pain or discomfort involved patients typically can return to their normal routine in 1-2 days. Bruising and swelling will subside over time.

The most common things to expect during your recovery initially would be swelling, bruising, some oozing from incision sites (for the first 12-24 hours), tenderness/soreness. Bruising and tenderness should resolve over the 2-3 weeks. Swelling may persist a few weeks longer. Some patients experience patchy areas of numbness or tingling after the procedure that will resolve over time.  All of these things are quite normal and expected and do go away on their own with no extra attention needed.

Dr. Grant Stevens

The Cellulaze cellulite laser treatment is a minimally invasive procedure which usually requires only local anesthesia. Some light bruising can occur, but you'll be able to return to normal activities within a day or two. Your physician may ask you to wear a compression garment for a short period after treatment. Following a Cellulaze cellulite laser treatment, you may experience some aches, much like after a physical workout.

Cellulaze is a FDA approved one time treatment that utilizes a 1440 nm wavelength laser to accomplish 3 things:  1) melt away fat bulging out 2) break up fibrous septae (attachments) that create the indentations and 3) help thicken the dermis (skin) to prevent future recurrence.   The procedure can take between 60-90 minutes and can be completed under local or just IV sedation (depending on the length of your procedure and number of areas being treated). To see your final results takes between 3-6 months. You can visit the cellulaze . com website to learn more about the procedure and find a plastic surgeon who performs the procedure near you. Best of luck!
Dr. Basu
Houston, TX

It seems the side effects or complications are doctor dependent. In that understanding appropriate patient selection, informed consenting are paramount. Seromas are by far the #1 risk, followed by black and blue (ecchymosis), continued irregularities, burns, poor results. Regards Dr. B, MIAMI

Cellulaze side effects include:


Bruising:  virtually all patients experience some degree of bruising.  This is managed with compression and supplements like Arnica

Soreness:  since the treatment is applied to the skin itself, there is a sensation of general soreness to the area that lasts a few days to weeks

Firmness:  the skin has been treated to cause firming and thickening, so this sensation is a normal consequence of the treatment


There is a risk of infection as with any surgical procedure, but otherwise side effects are limited.